Portsmouth Planning Board to hear latest form-based zoning plan

PORTSMOUTH — City planning officials will return before the Planning Board Thursday to present a revamped version of proposed form-based zoning regulations slated for implementation in the downtown.

Charles McMahon

PORTSMOUTH — City planning officials will return before the Planning Board Thursday to present a revamped version of proposed form-based zoning regulations slated for implementation in the downtown.

Thursday's meeting, which begins at 7 p.m., comes a week after the Planning Board delayed making a recommendation on the proposed zoning changes. The amendments included in the "Character-Based Zoning Ordinance" would insert a new article in the ordinance to create what the city is calling "character districts," as well as make conforming amendments to other sections of the ordinance. The board held off on voting on the proposal at the Oct. 24 meeting in order to receive some clarification from the city Planning Department on some areas of concern.

Planning Director Rick Taintor said since that meeting staff has addressed all the concerns raised by board members, as well as residents who spoke at an associated public hearing.

Taintor said perhaps the biggest issue raised was the absence of a specific building height limit written within the proposed ordinance. Instead, the ordinance is based on establishing story limits on structures depending on their location downtown. City staff has since included the amount of feet attached to the building height limit along with the number of stories, he said.

"Hopefully that will allay some of the concerns people have," Taintor said.

If the proposed ordinance is fully approved, the downtown would now be divided into several height districts. A small section along Congress and Fleet streets would be in a district that allows a building height of no more than 60 feet. All other areas of the downtown would have limits of 50 feet or less, according to the proposed amendments.

Other changes Taintor said he plans to present Thursday involve a recommendation to include a maximum building footprint size within the proposed ordinance amendment. Taintor said the maximum footprint is being included, despite there already being a maximum frontage requirement included in the existing ordinance. He said that is being done to alleviate any concerns about loopholes.

Taintor said he is also prepared to show Planning Board members how other communities implemented similar zoning changes. Taintor said the amount of work that has gone into the new zoning document has been incredible. "It's been a big project," he said. "We're still working on it."

The City Council set Nov. 18 for a first reading of the proposed zoning changes. The Historic District Commission is expected to weigh in on the proposed changes before then. Taintor said the public will have another opportunity to speak about the changes if the council passes first reading and then holds a second reading and public hearing Dec. 2. The council will presumably have one last opportunity to pass third and final reading at its last meeting Dec. 16. If it is not passed, the new council will take up the proposal in January, he said.

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